Community Justice

Community justice circle
We are committed to engaging communities and harnessing the power of the justice system to address local problems and improve public safety.

The Center for Court Innovation created the first community court in 1993. Located a short walk from New York City’s Times Square, the Midtown Community Court works with people in the neighborhood to tailor creative responses to local concerns. Since then, we have worked to bring the idea of community justice to other New York City neighborhoods (Red Hook, Harlem, Brownsville, and others), and to jurisdictions around the world that are interested in reinvigorating public trust in justice, reducing the use of incarceration and forging new responses to minor offending. We have also helped launch the National Community Court Initiative, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

We have also worked to spread the idea of community justice beyond courts. For example, we have worked with prosecutors to encourage them to not only prosecute cases, but to solve public safety problems, prevent crime, and improve public trust in justice. Rather than simply tallying cases won and sentences imposed, prosecutors should measure the effect of their work on quality of life, community attitudes, and crime. To support such efforts, we work with local prosecutors and national experts such as the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and Fair and Just Prosecution.

Initiatives

  • National Community Court Initiative

    The National Community Court Initiative seeks to support the creation, enhancement, and evaluation of community-focused courts across the country.

  • Bronx Community Solutions

    Bronx Community Solutions provides community-based alternatives to jail, restores community relationships, and helps participants avoid further criminal justice involvement.

  • Brooklyn Young Adult Court

    The Brooklyn Young Adult Court seeks to provide meaningful alternatives to conventional prosecution for young people, ages 18 to 24, charged with misdemeanors.

  • Harlem Community Justice Center

    The Harlem Community Justice Center is a neighborhood-based community court committed to bridging the gap between the court and community to achieve fairness and systematic equity in housing, commu

  • Mentor Community Courts

    These community courts enhance assistance provided by the Center for Court Innovation by serving as regional resources for jurisdictions looking to implement similar community justice initiatives.

  • Midtown Community Court

    The Midtown Community Court is one of the country's first problem-solving courts. It provides alternatives to fines and jail as a response to low-level crime.

  • Newark Community Solutions

    Newark Community Solutions applies a problem-solving approach to low-level cases in Newark, New Jersey’s municipal courthouse.

  • Red Hook Community Justice Center

    The nation's first multi-jurisdictional community court, the Red Hook Community Justice Center seeks to solve neighborhood problems in southwest Brooklyn.

Publications & Digital Media

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News

  • Whose Eyes on the Street?

    May 11, 2021
    Landscape Architecture Magazine

    How can designers and advocates reckon with the uneasy history of safety in environmental design? This article explores how our Neighborhood Safety Initiatives, in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice are working in public housing communities to build stronger, healthier public spaces.

  • Anti-Violence Fair Held At Harlem Housing Complex

    April 9, 2021
    CBS New York

    An anti-violence fair was held Friday in Harlem in the same city housing complex where a little boy was killed in March. The event had the feel of a block party but with crucial information about resources for the community.

  • Albany Courts to Receive Federal Funds and Technical Assistance

    December 30, 2020
    WALB News 10

    Community courts are a way to holistically address underlying issues— like substance use disorders, mental illness, or unemployment— to improve public safety and reduce reoffending. “In these challenging times, Albany’s award reaffirms the important work being done by community courts,” said Aaron Arnold, our director of technical assistance. “It’s a huge accomplishment to win this highly-selective national competition, and we look forward to working with them.”

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We work with reformers around the world.

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